Vehicles, particularly trucks, utilize many replaceable lamps, such as sidemarker lamps which are installed on the sides of trucks and trailers in order to clearly mark the boundaries of the truck and trailer at night. Because these lamps must be replaced on a regular basis when their lamp elements fail, typical prior art lamps are formed as a unit assembly with a case and lens (usually of plastic), and mount to a bracket permanently affixed to the vehicle. Rotation of the lamp assembly upon the bracket in a clockwise manner serves to affix the lamp assembly to the bracket, while rotation of the lamp assembly in a counter-clockwise direction allows the lamp assembly to be completely removed from the bracket.
While it is important for the lamp assembly to be removable from the bracket to allow for servicing of failed lamps, such removability also allows for relatively easy theft of the lamp assemblies. Such theft has become a greater concern with the introduction of lamp assemblies utilizing light emitting diodes (LEDs) as the illumination elements, as these lamp assemblies are substantially more expensive. Not only does this expense increase the loss associated with the theft of a lamp assembly, but it also presents an increased incentive for theft.
There is therefore a need for a vehicle lamp and mounting bracket that is theft resistant. The present invention is directed toward meeting this need.